Utah

I don’t have much info on this building yet, but will be researching some of its history in the next week. My guess is it was built in the early 1900’s. It has probably been vacant and in disrepair for many years, especially as the homes and town moved away from Main street. I am surpised it is still standing at all, considering the industrialized neighborhood. A wonderful building, though.

Built 1898
Sold 1942 and remodeled into a private residence
Destroyed by fire in 2000

This meetinghouse is located on a beautiful site, elevated above the town and the river running adjacent. Built of a stone base and brick structure in 1898, the building cost around $5000 to construct. Containing a single large chapel space on the main floor, the room was able to be subdivided by curtains for Sunday School classes. The basement was an open hall for activities and dances. The original design contained a weather vane and a bell tower above the entry door on the west side.

I was excited to find out today that the Cedar City 1st Ward building, or historic Rock Church, will be Rededicated this Sunday after closing last year for renovations. The dedication will be at 6pm and the building will be open for tours both before and after from 5pm-8pm. I have not been to visit the building yet, but from what I understand, the Cultural Hall has been restored to its original design, including removal of carpet for the original hardwood floors and removal of the wall panels that covered the windows. The radiators were left for historical reasons, even though the building now has central heating and cooling. The original pews have been restored and the font and mural still remain even though it is no longer functional. This building was built when the original Tabernacle on Center and Main was sold to the Government to be demolished for a new Post Office, but the still-working clock from the Tabernacle can be seen in the steeple.

Yesterday I was fortunate to visit this building for the first time. It also happened to be the last day that worship services would be held. Even though it was Easter Sunday, members of the ward lingered long after services to reminisce, take pictures and just to sit and enjoy the Chapel for the last time while the bell in the tower rang outside for the small community of Paradise to hear.

As you can see, part of the building has already been removed exposing the original stone of the 1877 chapel. There was a nice display in the lobby with old photos of the chapel, some of the original stone as well as drawings of the new building to replace this one. Apparently they will save the bell to put into the new steeple. This bell was part of the original 1877 chapel. Also, some of the original stone will be used on the front elevation as a decorative feature.

Some of my favorite features of the building were the exposed stone, the railing in the lobby, the cry room in the balcony behind glass, the pulpit, the hand-painted flowers throughout the chapel, the abundance of natural light in the chapel, and the pews up in the cry room. I may be completely wrong, but if I were to guess, I would say those pews in the balcony are from the original building. The pews down in the chapel appeared to be from the 1952 addition. Rumor has it that some of the interior painting in the chapel was done by the same artist who painted scenes in the Salt Lake Temple Celestial room.

There was an attempt to save the building and have it be used as a community center that made it all the way to the First Presidency, but that request was denied. As a result the building that has stood here as a centerpiece for the town since 1877 will very soon be demolished.

Sadly, I just found out that the historic Paradise Ward meetinghouse in southern Cache County will be torn down in the next several weeks. The Chapel is right in the center of town and I don’t yet know why it will be torn down or what the plans are for the site. I haven’t done a lot of research on this building yet, but I believe the original chapel was built in either 1882 or 1886. In 1952, the original chapel was divided internally into classrooms and the steeple was removed when a larger chapel and steeple was built as an expansion to the original building. Finally in 1979 a large Cultural hall addition in the back was added. According to my source, the last Sunday of services will be Easter Sunday. If anyone has additional information on this building or its demolition, I would be interested to hear about it.

9060 S 200 W
Paradise, UT
Original Chapel built 1886?
New chapel addition 1952
Cultural Hall addition 1979
Scheduled to be torn down April 2012Map Location of Building

The exterior was completed in 1905 allowing use of the building, but the interior was still being worked on in 1913. The building was not paid off until 1938, after which it was dedicated on July 16, 1939. Ward members would joke that the building was as enduring as the Salt Lake Temple since both took 40 years to complete. Originally a red brick building, this Victorian Romanesque Revival building was painted white around 1950. The floor plan is a simple rectangle design with a 1938 rear office addition. In 1965, a new and larger building was completed north of here. The original cornerstone was moved to the new meetinghouse and the Granite Chapel ceased being used as a religious structure. In 1966, sculptor Avard Fairbanks purchased the building for $2000 and used the building as his art studio until his death in 1987. His son now owns the building and uses it to store the works of his father.